It’S A Cat, Adopted By A Wolf Family? [EN]: Chapter 109

* * *

“Madam, please rest for a bit. You don’t look well.”

Paul, the head butler of the Gridwolf mansion, bowed respectfully to Karis. Beside him, the mansion’s employees, including Flora, wore worried expressions.

“Thank you for your concern. I’ll just read the letters I received and then rest.”

Karis forced a smile at them. Perhaps it wasn’t just their imagination that she looked unwell; she felt a nasty headache and nausea coming on.

“Madam, may I bring you a cup of tea that aids sleep?”

Flora added, unusually.

It was because she knew why Karis Gridwolf was burying herself in work.

Karis had been like this ever since Hogwood led a group of wolves to advance on the leopards.

She was clearly in a constant state of heightened awareness, thinking that the day to avenge her stillborn daughter was near.

‘She probably can’t sleep because she’s afraid of being reminded of her stillborn youngest daughter.’

Before Kitty was temporarily adopted into the Gridwolf mansion, Karis would scream in the middle of the night, waking from nightmares.

At such times, Jackal would hold her tightly, his face fearful of losing his charisma.

‘Such incidents have noticeably decreased since Miss Kittya was adopted, but he’s away now.’

Flora bowed deeply and spoke to calm Karis.

“It would be best if you got some deep sleep before the young lady and master return.”

Perhaps she was reminded of Kitty’s fluffy cat appearance and soft paws. Karis’s face, which had been tense, softened slightly.

“Then I’ll ask you to. Reading letters while drinking tea would be perfect for falling asleep.”

Karis gave a light nod to the employees, who were fidgeting with worry. Then, as they withdrew, she opened the newly delivered letters.

At the top was a letter from Hogwood, sent from the leopard territory.

[Karis, your sons are assisting me admirably. When did those rascals become so strong? And Eden is of marriageable age now. Time really flies, doesn’t it?]

Hogwood was subtly promoting Eden’s marriageability from the start. He clearly had Kitty in mind.

‘Not a chance.’

Karis chuckled and read the next line. She was relieved to hear that Theo and Deon, who had been dispatched to the leopard territory from the training grounds, were also doing well.

The letter stated that thanks to the Malrang handkerchief [a magical artifact], dealing with the Mock Blue Moon [a type of magical energy or substance] had become easier than before, effectively putting pressure on the leopards.

They weren’t attempting to approach the center where Delta was, as it was too difficult, but they were holding their own against the leopards.

‘During the initial attack, the wolves were just helplessly overwhelmed.’

Karis sensed that the day to avenge her daughter and visit the place where she was buried was not far off.

[But Delta has diverted Sigma to the bear territory. We’re guessing it’s because the research using bear beastmen’s hair has been successful. If that’s the case, the bears will likely ask the wolves for help soon.]

Karis tapped the desk with her fingertips. If Hogwood, who was as strong in practical combat as Jackal, had missed Sigma, it meant he had been diverted through a route that was impossible to catch from the start.

‘The leopards are planning something in the bear territory.’

If so, it had to be stopped. Now that they had cut off Jerian’s supply route of Mock Blue Moon, dragging it into a long-term war would be extremely disadvantageous for the leopards.

‘So they’re using Sigma as a gambit.’

If only the wolves could resist the madness of the Mock Blue Moon a little more, now was the time to turn the tables.

Karis finished reading Hogwood’s letter with a cold gaze, then opened the letter below it.

It was stamped with a wolf seal, depicting a wolf running at full speed, mane flying.

‘Jackal’s sending an A-class urgent letter?’

He was currently returning to the mansion after finishing his work in the cat territory. But if he sent such an urgent letter, it meant it was no ordinary matter.

‘What on earth… Oh my.’

A soft smile spread across Karis’s face, which had been furrowed with thoughts of the leopards.

[Karis. Our daughter was singing with her friends. It was very lovely.]

Included with Jackal’s brief explanation was a picture of cats sitting in a row on a wall, viewed from the back.

Karis could tell that the one with the most abundant fur in the middle was Kitty.

“How cute…”

She smiled, stroking Kitty’s fur in the picture with her fingertips. She understood why Jackal had sent an urgent letter, something he didn’t usually do.

Such a lovely picture.

‘I should frame it and keep it. I should call a painter to make a copy, as it might get damaged.’

It seemed like a good idea to hang the finished frame in her office and in the ‘Hall of Malrang Paw’ prepared in the Gridwolf mansion.

Karis, who had quickly become happy, stared at the letters he had carefully written.

Our daughter.

Those three words were filled with Jackal’s sincerity and love.

She knew it too. Jackal had no intention of letting Kitty go. He wanted a real adoption, not a temporary one, but he wasn’t saying it out of consideration for his wife.

‘I wish I could tell Kitty not to leave either.’

Karis looked at the fluffy Kitty picture with affectionate eyes. She also wanted to be with Kitty for a long time.

However, she couldn’t be sure if adopting Kitty was bringing her in as a substitute for Diel Gridwolf.

‘Diel is still buried deep in the ground, but I can’t do that to be happy…’

The guilt that had tormented her for decades raised its head again. The cold sensation of digging through frozen ground seemed to revive from her fingertips.

“Madam, I’ll bring the tea in now.”

“Yes.”

Karis thought it was fortunate that Flora had arrived just in time, and she shook off the gloomy thoughts.

Even if she drank all the tea, it seemed unlikely she would get any rest.

* * *

The carriage procession heading to Gridwolf stopped briefly for a meal.

“Kitty, are you alright? Any motion sickness?”

“I’m perfectly fine, Jackal.”

Kitty, who answered with a bright smile, held onto Gridwolf’s bow tightly and looked around.

The faces of the wolf knights returning to the mansion looked relaxed.

This was because they had successfully cut off Jerian’s Mock Blue Moon supply route, and no one was seriously injured in the cat territory.

‘You could say we’ve taken another step towards avenging the leopards.’

Personally, Kitty was very satisfied to receive her mother’s keepsake and meet her relative, Nero.

Of course, the happiest was Cleed, who had rescued the comrades Jerian had imprisoned.

“Getting some fresh air and sunshine will help with recovery.”

He said that as he spread out a mat and laid the three rescued fox beastmen on it like laundry.

“Young Master…”

“No, he’s the head of the family now.”

“Seeing you take care of us, it’s clear you’re not a troublemaker anymore.”

The fox beastmen said with emotion-filled voices, drooping in the sunlight.

Although it had only been a day since they were rescued, their condition had noticeably improved thanks to the devoted care.

Kitty smiled at the heartwarming scene.

‘It’s a great relief that Jerian didn’t attack the baby foxes he had with him.’

If he had been blinded by revenge and done such a thing, she might never have seen Cleed again.

Meanwhile, Cleed was pretending not to notice Kitty’s sparkling gaze.

His aide, Ben, asked him in a small voice.

“Cleed, the young lady is looking at you.”

“I can’t make a move while she’s with Jackal. I won’t even have bones left to pick up if I mess up.”

Cleed said jokingly and stayed in his place.

But all his attention was focused on Kitty. Ever since they were in the upper reaches of Yaong Mountain, she had been exuding the scent of Eden Weavers.

On the day he rescued Kitty’s friends from the cave and faced Jerian, Cleed, who had better hearing than Kitty, had clearly heard it.

“A wolf doesn’t let the enemy of their mate live.”

That low, murderous voice was definitely Eden’s.

Normally, he would have run out immediately, asking what kind of nonsense that was, but he didn’t have the strength in his body at the time.

It was because he had already been hit by Jerian’s Blue Moon.

‘I just ended up being pathetically defeated by Jerian in front of the young lady.’

Except for the fact that Kitty had purified his madness with a worried face, there was nothing he liked about it.

But Eden Weavers had even cut off a few of Jerian’s fingers and handed them over as research material, which made his stomach churn.

Complex emotions continued to surge.

‘Is this annoyance or relief?’

Why? Thinking that there was someone stronger than him standing by the young lady’s side made him feel annoyed but also relieved.

‘Because I’ll be… leaving soon.’

The time seemed near.

A huge magical power was swirling in his chest. He only needed one more push to complete his mana core [the center of a beastman’s magical power].

If that happened, would the young lady forget him?

If he became stronger, would she look at him again?

Would she be flustered and shy in front of him, like when she saw Eden Weavers?

‘I’m jealous. My tail is much fluffier too.’

Cleed stopped thinking seriously and shrugged his shoulders. It was the moment when the flexible way of thinking unique to fox beastmen shone.

‘Still, I don’t like that guy, so I should deduct some points.’

Cleed took advantage of Kitty being distracted by the salmon and slyly approached Jackal. A great fox would not hesitate to use any trick.

“Jackal.”

“My daughter is not allowed. She’s eating now.”

His defense was as impenetrable as ever. Cleed wiggled his eyebrows slyly and said.

“I lost consciousness for a moment when I was in the Yaong Mountain cave, and the words I heard then keep ringing in my head. I don’t know who said it, but…”

Jackal stared at Cleed, as if telling him to speak.

Cleed pretended to recall the memory nonchalantly.

“I think I heard the word ‘mate’…”

Crack―

The wooden utensil Jackal was holding broke. His eyes were blazing with anger towards Eden.

“Ah, maybe I misheard.”

Cleed, who had successfully deducted points from Eden, shamelessly added before leaving his seat.